Albany Devils goalie Mackenzie Blackwood tries to keep his eyes on the puck during their game against the Utica Comets on Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, in Albany, N.Y. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union) ORG XMIT: MER2017022016080673 less

Albany Devils goalie Mackenzie Blackwood tries to keep his eyes on the puck during their game against the Utica Comets on Monday, Feb. 20, 2017, in Albany, N.Y. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union) ORG XMIT: ... more

Scott Wedgewood is gone for now but wasn't forgotten Saturday, when the Albany Devils honored their injured goaltender on Bobblehead Giveaway Day.

Other than that, Wedgewood has been off the radar for the Devils, who are marching forward with two rookie goalies carrying their postseason hopes.

Wedgewood, after a Nov. 29 surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, has been doing his rehab at home near Toronto. His recovery is expected to take up to six months, which would make his earliest possible return during the American Hockey League playoffs.

"If he gets to the point where he gets on the ice, we can start to look at it," Devils coach Rick Kowalsky said of the fourth-year pro, "but right now there's been no discussion of him potentially playing for us again this year."

The Devils have made due with Ken Appleby, who played eight games last season with Albany but is classified as an AHL rookie, and Mackenzie Blackwood, in his first pro season.

At a position where experience matters, the young goaltending duo is holding serve. The Devils are second in their division in goals-against average at 2.73, only 0.005 behind Toronto. And with 21 games to play, they seem to be headed to a playoff berth.

"We've felt all year that we're going to need them," Kowalsky said. "We've put a lot on these young guys. One hardly had any American League experience, and the other didn't have any. They've certainly given us a chance on most nights, and they have to continue as we go down the stretch here."

Once Wedgewood went down in his 10th game of the season, Appleby stepped up and at one point led AHL goalies in goals-against average. His play has slipped recently, as he has allowed five or more goals in three of his past seven starts after not yielding more than three in any of his 18 previous games.

So Blackwood, who for a while was at the bottom of the league in GAA, got more opportunity. He had a four-game winning streak before Monday afternoon's home loss to Utica.

"This is what you want to see," Kowalsky said. "Kenny took the ball there and was solid. Not to say that his game has fallen off, but he's had a couple of rough starts. Blackie was struggling to be consistent, and (goaltending coach) Scott Clemmensen has done a great job with both of them in making sure every day in practice they're working on things. Mackenzie's had a couple of good starts for us."

Blackwood, 20, was a 2015 second-round draft pick of the New Jersey Devils. A native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, he has the size — at 6-foot-4 and 224 pounds — to be a future NHLer, as well as the strength. He is obsessive in his off-ice workouts.

"At about 16 years old I started (getting) into them," Blackwood said. "I wasn't always into them, but I was told in order to make it, you have to be in good shape and work hard, so I took that with me. It just stuck with me. I like to work out, and I feel like it makes me better on the ice."

Coinciding with Appleby's slide, Blackwood got more time on the ice. He has started four of Albany's past six games and carries a record of 11-8-3 with a 2.85 GAA.

"As the season's progressed, I felt more comfortable," he said. "Each passing week, I feel like I'm buying into the routine more and figuring out what I need to do to be successful. As we're moving along, I'm getting into a routine on and off the ice."

Kowalsky said he is comfortable with either goaltender as the Devils approach a potential playoff run. Like most coaches, he said the hotter player is going to get a majority of playing time.

"It's healthy competition for both young guys," Kowalsky said. "If Blackwood elevates to another level and he starts to get it done, then he's going to get the two out of three games. It's all based on schedule and rest and all that stuff, but we've been happy with them.

"The real test is going to be moving forward when these games get tighter and tighter and tougher and tougher and guys start jockeying for playoff position. That's going to be another step for them to elevate their game. We need to do a good job of supporting them as a team, too."